Haaland holds 'key to door' when he wants to leave Man City, says striker's agent

By Sports Desk February 01, 2023

Erling Haaland holds "the key to the door" when the striker decides he wants to leave Manchester City, according to his agent Rafael Pimenta.

The Norway international has taken the Premier League by storm since signing for Pep Guardiola's side from Borussia Dortmund ahead of this season.

Haaland has 25 goals after just 19 top-flight appearances for City following his fourth league hat-trick of the season in a 3-0 thumping of Wolves on January 22.

After already surpassing the tally that Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min (23 each) recorded to win the 2021-22 Golden Boot, the 22-year-old is the most clinical finisher in world football.

Real Madrid have repeatedly been credited with an interest in the forward, whose agent suggested Haaland has the freedom to choose to leave City whenever he pleases.

"I am in favour of freedom. It's my battle," Pimenta told Spanish outlet AS. "I always say that one of my priorities as an agent is to offer the player what I call 'the key to the door'.

"When a player goes to a club, I do everything I can to create the conditions for the key to the door to be in his hands. And if tomorrow you can't stand being there anymore because you don't like it, or you're not paid well, or because your wife wants to live in Paris? Then you leave, right?

"I don't like it when my player is not free to decide. I've done every contract in this agency for the last 25 years. There wasn't a single time a player said 'I want to leave' and couldn't do it."

Haaland's main focus at present, though, will be surpassing Alan Shearer and Andy Cole's single-season Premier League record of 34 goals, with 18 league games remaining for title hopefuls City.

Related items

  • Erling Haaland criticises referee Simon Hooper on social media after City draw Erling Haaland criticises referee Simon Hooper on social media after City draw

    Erling Haaland faces possible disciplinary action after complaining about referee Simon Hooper on social media following Manchester City’s dramatic 3-3 draw with Tottenham.

    The City striker was incensed after being denied the opportunity to play advantage in the closing moments of a thrilling Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium.

    Haaland was fouled but quickly got up and played Jack Grealish through on goal only for Hooper to pull play back and award a free-kick.

    Haaland was one of several City players to angrily remonstrate with the official and he continued his protests after the game by reposting a clip of the incident on X, formerly Twitter, with the comment “Wtf”.

    The PA news agency has contacted the Football Association over the matter.

    Manager Pep Guardiola was not aware of Haaland’s social media post when he spoke to reporters after the game but, speaking about Haaland’s on-field reaction, admitted he could understand the player’s anger.

    Guardiola said: “It’s normal. His reaction was the same for 10 players. The rules are you cannot talk with the referees or fourth officials, so we should have had 10 players sent off today.

    “He’s a little bit disappointed. Even the referee – if he played for Man City today he would be disappointed for that action, that’s for sure.”

    Guardiola had tried to temper his criticism, saying in a TV interview he did not want to make a “Mikel Arteta comment”, in reference to the Arsenal manager’s controversial remarks after a game against Newcastle last month.

    He added in a press conference: “I make mistakes, the players make mistakes.

    “It surprised me because in the moment Erling went down (and) if you whistle in that moment it’s fine.

    “But when he stands up and continues and the referee makes that gesture to play on, and after he (Haaland) makes the pass he then stops the game – I don’t want to criticise him.

    “On the touchline sometimes I lose my mind and my gestures are not proper but for many years as a manager I’m not a guy, when I’m refreshed, to comment.”

    City led 2-1 at half-time thanks to a Phil Foden goal after Son Heung-min had scored at both ends.

    Giovani Lo Celso levelled for Spurs and Dejan Kulusevski did likewise in the 90th minute after Jack Grealish looked to have won it for City.

    It was the champions’ third successive draw.

    Guardiola said: “It’s not the first time we have faced this situation where we are playing good but results don’t come. Always we find a solution but lately the results don’t come and we are struggling.”

    For Spurs, the result ended a run of three successive defeats.

    Manager Ange Postecoglou said: “City could have blown us away, they certainly had enough chances.

    “We were giving the ball away a lot but hung in there.

    “The effort the boys put in there in the second half was outstanding. City never got total control of the game and we scored three quality goals, which you have to against a team like that.”

    Postecoglou was asked in his press conference if he thought his side may have “got away with one” over the Haaland incident at the end.

    “Yes, I guess so mate,” the Australian said.

  • Kylian Mbappe helps 10-man PSG to victory against Le Havre Kylian Mbappe helps 10-man PSG to victory against Le Havre

    Kylian Mbappe inspired 10-man Paris St Germain to a 2-0 victory over Le Havre to send them four points clear of Nice at the top of Ligue 1.

    PSG found themselves down to 10 men after just 10 minutes when goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was sent off for a high challenge on Josue Casimir.

    The visitors went in front in the 23rd minute through Mbappe and while the hosts did their best to find an equaliser, Vitinha scored against the run of play in the 89th minute to seal three points.

    Goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier saved two penalties as Lille claimed a 2-0 win at home to Metz.

    The 22-year-old denied Simon Elisor before two goals in first-half stoppage time from Yusuf Yazici and Jonathan David put Lille in front.

    More heroics from Chevalier 10 minutes into the second half to keep out Lamine Camara’s penalty helped preserve victory for the home side.

    Monaco kept pace with PSG with a 2-0 win over 10-man Montpellier, who saw Boubakar Kouyate sent off in the second half, while Brest beat Clermont 3-0 and Toulouse played out a 1-1 draw with Lorient.

    In LaLiga, Hector Bellerin was shown a red card in the 27th minute of Real Betis’ goalless draw at Almeria, while Mallorca and Alaves also drew a blank.

    Rasmus Kristensen scored the winner for Roma as they came from behind to beat Sassuolo 2-1 in Serie A.

    Matheus Henrique fired in a first-half opener for Sassuolo, but it all came undone after the break when Daniel Boloca was dismissed and Paulo Dybala scored from the spot, before Kristensen fired home a second.

    A Lucas Beltran spot-kick and further goals from Riccardo Sottil and Giacomo Bonaventura earned Fiorentina a 3-0 victory over Salernitana, while Udinese and Verona drew 3-3.

    Sixth-placed Bologna looked poised for victory at Lecce but had to settle for a point after Roberto Piccoli’s penalty in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time cancelled out Charalampos Lykogiannis’ 68th-minute opener.

    In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund were on course to leapfrog fourth-placed Leipzig with a vital victory at leaders Bayer Leverkusen after Julian Ryerson fired the visitors ahead after five minutes.

    But Victor Boniface salvaged a point when he levelled late in the second half.

  • Riled Rodgers and Hearts on high – things we learned from cinch Premiership Riled Rodgers and Hearts on high – things we learned from cinch Premiership

    Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and Hibernian all enjoyed victories, while Motherwell and Dundee shared the points in a Fir Park thriller.

    Here the PA news agency looks back on the highlights from the cinch Premiership action over the weekend.

    Brendan Rodgers loses his rag

    The Celtic boss claimed he had never been angrier as a manager after watching his side’s “soft” first-half display against St Johnstone. The champions conceded another goal from a corner to trail at half-time before strikes from Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley and James Forrest earned a 3-1 win. But Rodgers said: “I’m still angry, if I’m honest. The first half was nowhere near what you expect from a Celtic player and team. We got bullied for the goal and we were soft in everything, with and without the ball. Half-time was the angriest I’ve ever been as a manager. I said to the players afterwards, don’t make me be like that again.”

    Abdallah Sima back on the scoresheet

    Sima scored a double in Philippe Clement’s first game as Rangers boss, a 4-0 home win over Hibernian in October. The 22-year-old attacker, on loan from Brighton, then went the next eight matches without finding the net and Clement put some tiredness down to becoming a father recently for the first time. Sima got back on track against St Mirren at Ibrox on Sunday with a fine strike before the break and a clinching second after 70 minutes to take his tally to the season to 11 in the 2-0 win, with the promise of more to come.

    Motherwell strike early but still need a late show

    Mika Biereth smashed Motherwell’s first league goal in front of the away fans at Fir Park this season and only their third first-half strike in all. It was the first time the Steelmen had taken the lead for three months but it failed to be the catalyst they were looking for and they twice came from behind to force a 3-3 draw against Dundee. Conor Wilkinson’s equaliser was Motherwell’s sixth 90th-minute goal of the Premiership campaign.

    Hearts find consistency

    The Jambos last week secured a hat-trick of Premiership wins for the first time since December 2021 and Saturday’s 1-0 success over Kilmarnock made it four league victories on the trot for the first time since they won their first five games of the 2018-19 campaign. Manager Steven Naismith, who scored five goals in those five matches, said: “If I’m honest, for a club like Hearts and a few other clubs will say the same – it should be normal that you go on a run like that, it shouldn’t take five years.”

    David Marshall rolls back the years

    Hibernian made it three league wins in a row for the first time this season with a 2-0 victory over Aberdeen, but their manager Nick Montgomery admitted afterwards they were indebted to veteran goalkeeper David Marshall. The 38-year-old produced a string of stunning saves to deny the Dons as they chased an equaliser at 1-0 down and the former Scotland international continued to frustrate Barry Robson’s team with further blocks in the closing stages, including from a Bojan Miovski penalty. Many more displays like Sunday’s and there will be a clamour for Marshall to bring himself out of international retirement and make himself available to Steve Clarke for the Euros next summer.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.